Betty White’s Career Is One For The Record Book

Betty White may have been dumped by NBC, but she’s been picked up by Guinness World Records. The 2014 edition, out September 12, has awarded the 91-year-old actress the inaugural title of “Longest TV Career For An Entertainer (Female).” The new category is in recognition of White’s 74 years in the business. The career-length category previously was non-gender specific. Brit Bruce Forsyth holds the male title also with his 74 years in the industry. White began her career in radio in 1939, and she has won Emmys, SAG Awards and Grammys while appearing decade after decade in TV series such as Life With Elizabeth,The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls, and The Bold And The Beautiful. Guinness likely will have to update the award next year for White as she currently stars on TV Land’s Hot In Cleveland,which has been renewed for a fifth season.

Related:Big ‘Mary Tyler Moore’ Reunion On ‘Hot In Cleveland’A pop culture icon in recent years, White hosted Saturday Night Live in May 2010 after a petition to get her on proved a wild success. The oldest person to ever host the NBC late-night show, White won an Emmy for her highly rated appearance. In early 2012, NBC debuted Betty White’s 90th Birthday Special to ratings success. Soon after, the network launched her hidden-camera senior series Betty White’s Off Their Rockers to a strong start. NBC aired Betty White’s 2nd Annual 90th Birthday Special in February 2103. They also brought back Off Their Rockers for a second season before cancelling the show July 11 just after the second-cycle finale. The second season averaged about 5.3 million viewers and a 1.5 rating, but the season finale was down 33% in the demo compared with the year before. Betty White is repped by APA.

7 Comments

Mickey Rooney has Bruce Forsyth beat. He made his debut in a film short in 1926 and he’s still working. That’s eighty-seven years in the business by my count.

JJJ • on Sep 4, 2013 4:45 pm

The category is Longest TV Career, not longest film or showbiz career.

jack • on Sep 4, 2013 4:45 pm

WOW, BETTY WOW! What’s next?

Jan • on Sep 4, 2013 4:45 pm

It’s so wonderful to watch someone who has brought her own special charisma to every role she’s had on TV — remain so healthy and vibrant. You go, girl!

Charles Grossman • on Sep 4, 2013 4:45 pm

Not to tarnish Ms. White’s achievement, but surely there should be a place in the record books for Don Pardo (working 75 years and still announcing Saturday Night Live) and June Foray (working 80 years and still voicing Granny on Cartoon Network’s current Looney Tunes Show).